Vasudha Foundation

District

Deoghar

States

Jharkhand

The organisation is dedicated to providing access to clean, sustainable, and affordable energy for all, collaborating with various partners such as Sustainable Energy For All. It focuses on creating models and pilots for rural energy access to enhance livelihoods and generate income. Notably, it initiated a project involving community-driven renewable energy mini-grids, exemplified by the successful implementation in Lalpur Village, Jharkhand. Additionally, the organisation empowers rural communities by training them to interact with State Electricity Regulators for rural electricity supply, as seen in the Universal Service Obligation for Rural Electricity Supply project.

The Energy Transition programme by Vasudha Foundation is dedicated to supporting India's shift towards clean energy. Through data-driven analysis and comprehensive data repositories, the team ensures the engagement of all stakeholders in this transition. It monitors global clean energy transitions and policies, adopting best practices for India. By identifying barriers to scaling clean energy solutions and reforming the power sector, the team offers solutions to overcome these challenges. Vasudha has established an accessible data repository on a dedicated website, fostering broad stakeholder participation in India's clean energy journey. The programme also emphasizes cross-sectoral issues such as water, land, environment, and air quality impacts on the power sector.

Vasudha Foundation's Low Carbon Pathways and Climate Policy Programme collaborates actively with policymakers and researchers, employing rigorous analysis to integrate climate concerns into development plans. It works with the energy transition team to develop sector-specific solutions. The programme assists states in developing and updating climate action plans, aligning them with India's NDCs. District environment and climate action plans are also developed in partnership with district administrations. The Foundation's pioneering civil society platform provides greenhouse gas emission data, supporting capacity building and training initiatives for climate actions.

The Sustainable Transport Solutions Programme of Vasudha Foundation operates in conjunction with the climate and energy transition teams. Its focus is on advancing the Indian Government's policies aimed at expanding electric mobility, public transportation, and non-motorized transportation nationwide. Presently, the team is actively involved in identifying obstacles hindering the attainment of the established goal of achieving 30% electric mobility by 2030, with the aim of ensuring its successful realization.

The Climate Finance Programme at Vasudha Foundation operates on the principle that finances play a pivotal role in the energy transition, necessitating a blend of domestic and international funding. An initial task undertaken by the Foundation was to assess global financial inflows for clean energy and climate efforts in India, along with monitoring the commitment of USD 100 Billion from Developed to Developing Countries for climate actions. This pioneering initiative, conducted in 2014 leading up to the Paris Climate Meeting, marked the first of its kind by an Indian organisation. Additionally, the Climate Finance team keeps a close watch on domestic financial flows and investments in clean energy solutions within India.